The blog of Marine Conservation Institute

Abandoned monk seal pup brought to Oahu from Kauai

Early yesterday morning NOAA Fisheries dispatched a team of recovery experts to follow up on reports of an abandoned monk seal pup in a remote area on Kaua’i.

Spokeswoman Wende Goo said that when the team arrived they found the pup alone on the beach and estimated that the pup is a male about one to two days old. Shortly afterwards, a female and male joined the pup. Attempts to reintroduce the pup to the female were unsuccessful as she exhibited aggressive behavior toward the pup and seemed more interested in the presence of the male. This female is the same one that abandoned a pup last year at about this time in the same location. The recovery team determined that the pup, if left alone, would have no chance of survival and made arrangements to transport it to O’ahu for captive care rehabilitation. As they have done in the past, the U.S. Coast Guard provided transportation for the animal from Kaua’i to O’ahu on a C-130 early this afternoon.